ANA, JAL Ground All Dreamliners Following Emergency Landing

Japan’s two biggest airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have grounded their fleets of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, after an ANA 787 made an emergency landing Wednesday due to a problem with the plane’s battery.

The ANA flight made an emergency landing at Takamatsu airport in Japan, after a cockpit message showed problems with the battery. The incident is the latest in a string of recent problems involving 787s operated by ANA and JAL, including an electrical fire and several fuel leaks reported last week.

“The FAA is monitoring a preliminary report of an incident in Japan earlier today involving a Boeing 787. The incident will be included in the comprehensive review the FAA began last week of the 787 critical systems, including design, manufacture and assembly,” FAA said in a statement Wednesday.

ANA issued an apology to its customers Wednesday, and canceled a total of 35 scheduled flights on 787s.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent an investigator to Japan to participate in the investigation into ANA’s battery incident.

"Initial reports indicate that the flight crew received multiple messages in the cockpit concerning the battery and other systems that were affected, and also reported an odor in the cockpit and the cabin. The airplane subsequently landed, and passengers and crew evacuated via emergency slides," NTSB said in a statement. The Japanese Transport Safety Board (JTSB) is leading the investigation.

Boeing is participating in the ongoing safety review of the Dreamliner launched by FAA last week. Despite the recent string of incidents, officials from Boeing have maintained their confidence in the safety of the plane. More